Cuomo: Port Ambrose facility 'not worth the risk'

After years of outcry from environmentalists and lawmakers, Gov. Andrew Cuomo has vetoed the proposed Port Ambrose liquefied natural gas facility off the coast of Long Island.

"The reward was not worth the risk and we're going to veto the Port Ambrose plan," Cuomo said during an event at the Long Beach Ice Arena Thursday.

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The facility as planned would have been a docking station for barges of liquefied natural gas — gas that is cooled and condensed to liquid form for transport. Environmentalists and elected officials had decried the proposal as a potential environmental and security disaster waiting to happen just miles from New York Harbor, and Cuomo had previously expressed reservations about the project.

The Long Beach Ice Arena was packed with environmentalists who had anticipated the announcement and applauded Cuomo as he entered the room.

"It seems like you know why I'm here," Cuomo said. "It was supposed to be a secret."

News of Cuomo's veto, along with a statement from the governor, was leaked to Newsday earlier in the day.

Following the close of public comments last week on the final environmental impact statement, Cuomo and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie had until Dec. 21 to veto or approve the project, but Cuomo took little time in exercising his option to quash the proposal.

With his veto, the proposed facility cannot move forward.

The governor said his decision was motivated primarily by security concerns.

"We have terrorist groups that are springing up more and more, almost on a daily basis, that are looking for opportunities," he said.

He also cited the possibility that future natural disasters on the scale of Hurricane Sandy could create a hazard.

"There's a security concern, in terms of when Mother Nature acts up," he said. "We have seen painfully the damage that Mother Nature can do."

Cuomo said the project could also interfere with commercial fishing, offshore wind and the integrity of Long Island's beaches.

New York City Councilman Costa Constantinides, who chairs the Council's Committee on Environmental Protection, had sponsored a resolution calling on Cuomo to nix the project.

"Building a deep-water liquefied natural gas terminal off the coast of Long Island and New Jersey would have endangered many of our efforts to encourage sustainable energy sources and would have posed risks to our vital infrastructure during extreme weather," he said in a statement. "That's why I commend Governor Cuomo for vetoing the proposed Port Ambrose deep-water docking terminal."

Environmental advocates also immediately praised the decision.

"This veto is a direct result of the power of people organizing and the power of solidarity between communities across New York," said Clare Donohue, head of the Sane Energy Project, one of dozens of environmental advocacy groups that had led efforts to block the project.

Cuomo's actions were also applauded in New Jersey, where environmental groups had also marshaled widespread opposition.

“This is a great victory for the environment and protecting our coasts. We want to thank Governor Cuomo for his veto and stopping this dangerous LNG facility," said New Jersey Sierra Club director Jeff Tittel in a statement. "This project was unneeded, unnecessary and now is no longer going to happen."

U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone praised the veto and thanked the group Clean Ocean Action, a longtime foe of liquefied natural gas off the coast of New Jersey.

“The rejection of this project draws a line in the sand that instead of focusing on industrial uses of the ocean, our country and the State of New Jersey should be encouraging the use of renewable energy resources,” Pallone said. “ I thank Cindy Zipf and Clean Ocean Action for their years of advocacy and steadfast opposition to this project."

Liberty Natural Gas, the company that was developing the project, did not immediately comment on Cuomo's decision.